Acetylene-gas generator.



Ne. 658,033. Patented sept. la, |900.. J. w. WEEKS. ACETYLEN GAS GENERATOR.

Ap-ximian mea v.my 1, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES' PATENT orma. fr

lJoiinv'w. wsrtKs, orPRovIDENoE, RHODE ISLAND, AssicNoR To THE HELIoN GAS GENERATOR COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

', A AoErvLENE-cAsfcENERAToR.

sPEcIFrcArxoNfrmllg part of mettais Patent No. 658,033, dated september is, 1900.

l YApplication liled .Tnlyly 1899- Serial No. 722,567. (No model.) l

y To all tch/0m t may concern.` V` i Beit known that I, JOHN W. WEEKS, aciti- Zen' of the UnitedStates of America'g'and a resident of the city and county of .Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvem-en'tsfin Acetylene-Gas Generators, of which the following -is a specification. r

My invention relates to improvements in portable self-contained niachines'or apparatus for generating acetylene gas; and it consists, essentially, in the combinationof--the removable perforated holder or receiver'containing the calcium-carbid, or carbid, as it is usually termed, closed ,at its upper end and having an opening in the lower end for the passage of water and the gas generated,

a water-holding tank surrounding the said holder and in com mnnicationpwith the carbid through the said opening in the holder, a selfclosing valve communicating with the interior of the holder, a verticallymovable watersealed Igasometer or reservoir surrounding and inclosing said tank, holder, and Valve,- arranged to open the latter when the supply of gas' in the reservoir is nearly exhausted, thereby allowing the water to unite with the carbid, thus generating gas and charging the I., reservoir, and a water-trap or safety device l l leaving instead its own dry gas. The dilferin direct communication with the gas, arranged whereby in casethe pressure exceedsY the normal or working pressure thel gas escapes automatically therefrom into the kouter air, all as more fully hereinafter set forth and y claimed. v l y v Gasgenerating apparatus of the type forming the subject of this invention haveihere-` tofore usually been provided with somewhat complicated mechanism-andpiping', thereby not only increasing the cost of the machines, but when put into servicel rendering them unsafe to a certain eXtent,while being more liable to get out of order.

The object I havein view is to produce an acetylene-gas machineorgenerator which is simple in construction and operation, comparatively inexpensive', andat tliesame time possessing a great degree ot'l efficiency.

In a gas-generating apparatus embodying my improvements the carbid is kept cool at 4times.

all times. The water is always admitted to the bottom and sides of the perforated superposed' compartments forming the carbidholder in s'nch small quantities that the gas i thus produced will'not completely fill the res- ,ervfoin from the holder downward through the water..

It .then rises through the Waterin the tank in to the reservoir. 'lhe water serves not only to cool and purify the gas, but adds moisture to it, thus increasing both its brilliancy and volume. The water.l used to slake the carbid does not form the seal for the gas-reservoir nor come in Contact with the outer air. Neither does it have to he changed when the carbid-receiver is being recharged, thereby saving a considerable amount of carbid which the water absorhsfrom the tirst charge. The water completely surrounds the carbid-holder at all A comparatively-small initial vertical movement ofthe gas-reservoir permits the Weight-ed valve to quickly close the inletpassage to the receiver, .so that the pressure: of the .gas generated inthelatter operates to force the water, away from the carbid and ence in the levels of the water forming the reservoir-seal between the inside and outside of the casing or shell when the reser- Voir is partly oreven wholly filled with acetylene gas under a normalvpressure is somewhat less than thedist-ance from the submerged end of the branch ofthe gas-supply IOO tor are such that in.` practice the pressure of gas seldom4 exceeds the predetermined or normal pressure. Therefore the amount of gas discharged into the air is comparatively small, and even then the duration of the trap action is short.. A

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure l is a vertical section taken through the center of my improved acetylene-gasgenerating apparatus, the parts being represented in the normal working relation. ig. 2 is a partial transverse section of the carbidl1older,&c.,`taken on linea; of- Fig. 1. Fig.` 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken through one side of one of the perforated annular partitions employed for separating the carbid into compartments; and Figs. lland 5 are plan and sectional viewsin reduced scale, showing a modified form of carbid-holder.

A, again referring to the drawings, indi.- cates my improved acetylene-gas generator' complete. The cylindrical outer shell a and inner shell c are open at the top and closed at the bottom, the same being arranged to form between them the annular space at', the latter containing water and forming a. seal for the Walls of the inverted gasometeror reservoir b, as clearly shown. The said inner shell c constitutes a Water-holding tank, in`

which is mounted and submerged the vertically-arranged carbid holder or receiver.

I prefer to make the carbid-holder cylind rical, thesame consisting of the outer shell f, closed at the topiand open at the bottom,

and the shell h, (mounted within the outer shell,) open at the top and having'a beveled base h', terminating at the center in a small hole h3. The carbid-holder is removably` secured in any suitable manner toa supporti ing-ringoi, having arms n', in turn rigidly secured tothe said shell c. The base portion. h. of the holder proper, h, has supporting brackets or arms ni, arranged to engage or interlock with the said member n'. As drawn, the carbid-holder is provided with a removable perforated tapered central tube h4, open at both ends, i1 s lower end having a flat outer iange resting on the saidl beveled baseih. The Lipper end of the tubeis surmounted by a closely fitting beveled removable sheet'- metal cap or cover h2, having a central opening therein communicating with the tube. The annular space formed between the tube and inner rsurface of the` cylinder h constitutes the chamber or receiver forthe carbid. Instead of completely filling the chamber with the carbid I preferto place it in superposed' layers, as it were, the layers-being separated by the annular hollow sheet-metal perfol-ated partitions 't'. These latter to a certain extent facilitate the iiow of waterin combining with the carbid, While also 'serving to retain portions of the residue from the carbid. i

The perforations in the tube 4h4 also permit some of the carbid residue to pass from the receiver to the base h and thence through the hole h3 thereof to lthe bottom oi the tanhr, Where it may be blownout throughthe blowoff pipe w upon opening the cock w.

The upper end of the outer shellfof the carbid-holder is provided with a transverse channel f2, extending entirely across the shell, in which is mounted a self-closing air `or water' valve e, opening into the space or chamberf', communicating with the top of `the central tube h4. The inner or free end *the tank c, the opposite or outer end of the ,lever being weighted, the arrangement being vsuch that when the central or corresponding part b2 of the gas-reservoir b in descending engages thev valve-arm the latter will be de- A pressed and open the valve, the Weighted j portion, ofi` the lever serving to instantly and automatically close lthe valve when the res.- 1 ervoir commences to move upwardly as the 'gasis generated. In order to` provide am ple movement? for the'valve e, the cover h2 beneathA it may have a depression or pocket formed therein, as shown in. Fig. 1. It will `be seen thatt'he tank c extends alittle above the; outer Water-seal chamber a', the water i inthe formercompletely su rrounding the car- 1 bidholder andl valve e.

A service-pipe o extends downwardly from the top` of tank c, thence through its bottom, 1 and upwardly toaconvenient.height outside the tank, as clearly shown.` At this point the pipeextends horizontally-through the watertrap or safety device B. This latter consists, preferably, of a glass vessel r, having a snitably-shaped top or cap r2 screwed thereto. The pipe o, as stated, extends through the l extending open` branch pipe -o2 in direct coml munication with the main o, its lower end heing submerged in thewater contained in the 3vessel r. An:V air or waste pipe-o3 isscrewed into tine-cap,y thearrangement being such that f' whenever-the pressure of gas in the reservoir islightly exceeds the working or normal pressure the gas is thenforcedy through the wat-er 'in the trap and escapes via pipe osinto the outer air until the normal pressure is restored.

The generators A may be arranged in seriesand having a main supply-pipe e', common to all, from which main the serviceepipc 122 extends. (See: arrow direction.) Inn such case a, stop-valve -e may be interposed: beltween the trapand: main e', as indicated in Fig. l. When thus arranged, the several g generators-as,`.for exam ple, a series of fouri may be used collectively or singly, as desired Aior as required bythe number of burners employed. The lower portion of the pipe o has anfair or pet cock o', the pipe being also pro- `Evided with` a test-burner e, located at the in- ;let sideof the trap, as shown. x A pair of vertical guides m are secured to @the outer shell a, a tie-rod m3 uniting them itogether at their upper ends. 'llo the topof the reservoir b are secured oppositcly-ar of the lever e is bent ate2 and extends above cap` r2 and is providedwith the downwardlyl IIO IZO

ranged hinged guide-brackets m4, fitted to receive the guides m. This de\ ice forms a suitable guide for the reservoir throughoutI its range of vertical movement. Now in order to remove the reservoir b-say for the purpose of recharging the carbid -holder-the brackets m4 are swung back on their hinges m5, followed by withdrawing the pins or bolts m', after which the guides may be swung to one side on the pivots m2. tate handling the carbid-holder, dac., the outer shellf may be provided with suitable haudles y. (See Fig. 2.)

ln lieu of the carbid-receptacle shown -in Fig. l the same may consist of a series of perforated quadrant-shaped holders p, openen top and having a chamber p at the bottom. (See Figs. 4 amL.) i These maybe arranged in su perposed sections or layers, so as to practically fill the inner shell h. I may add that the several chambers p' not only permit the free passage of water,'but are utilized to receive more or less of the carbid residue.

The vertical d ist-an ce bet-Ween the outer and inner water-levels a2 a3 of the outer tank ct is slightly less than thedistance. from lower end of pipe o2 to the water-level r of the trap B, the normal orworking pressure in the reservoir b being practically constant and uniform irrespective of the vertical position of the reservoir. Therefore-the gas issuing from the burners will produce a steady flame. If from any cause the pressure should force the reservoir upwardly to-its'limit, the action of the trap B before `described'quickly reduces such excess pressure, the -gas then Iiowing from the trap escaping into the atmosphere or outer air. I

Whenever the small valvee is opened by means of the engagement of the nearly-empty reservoirwith the valve-lever, the confined gasand air, forming apartial vacuum in the holder, escapes, thereby establishing a circulation and causing the water to flowinwardly for the time being through the opening h3 in the holder-base, the water gradually rising until it forms a union with the bottom or lower side of thevcharge of Vunslaked carbid inthe holder. The union of the carbid with the water instantly generates acetylene gas having a pressure equal to or exceeding the head of water surrounding the holder, thereby forcing the water downwardly and out of the holder through the opening h3, followed by the gas itself. The th lis-liberated gas rises through the surrounding water and is arrested and retained in the reservoir b. At

the same time the latter in rising frees the by means of the diiference in water-levels be fore described. The degree of heat evolved In order to faciliin the holder while the gas is being' generated, f

combined with thecooling ini'luence of the Watersurroundi ng the holder-,soon evaporates and expels themoisture from the carbid,A

leaving the latter ina comparatively-dry stata-the operation being repeated automatically whenever the reservoir h again becomes practically empty and until the entire y charge of carbid shall have been 'acted upon by the water and reduced toa'slaked state'or residue.

It may be noted that. the tank-water c surrounding the carbidholder becomes saturated with acetylene by reasonof the passage of the gas through it, although the water in the outer space ct, forming the seal for the reservoir, remains practically unadected by and a self-closing gas-outlet valve adaptedl i to be opened by the movement of the said gas-reservoir, whereby-the flow of waterinto the carbid-holder through said water-inlet is controlled, substantially as described.

2. In an acetylene-gas-generating apparav tus, a carbid-'holder closed externally but having an opening in its lower end through which Water and gas may flow, the carbid being arranged in the holder in superposed layers having hollow perforated partitions between them, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. The carbid-holder p substantially as herein described, having perforated walls and `further having a perforated chambered base communicating with the holder proper, for the purpose set forth.

4. In an acetylene-gas-generating apparatus, the combination of the removable perforated holder or receiver containing the calcium carbid, closed at its upper end and having an opening in the lower end for the-- passage of water and the gas generated, a water-holding tank surrounding the said holder and in communication with the carbid through the said opening in the holder,a

self-closing valve communicating rwith the interior of the holder,'a verticallymovable water-sealed gasometerorreservoirsurrounding and iuclosing saidtanlcholder and valve,

arranged to open the latter when the supplyV of gas in the reservoir is nearly exhausted, thereby allowing the watery to unite with the carbid to generate acetylene gas and recharge the reservoir, substantially as hereinbefore described. t

5. In an acetylene-gas generator, a shell for containing water, a vertically-movable gasometer, and a tank which is submerged Signed by me at Providence, Rhode Island, in the water and provided With a valve in its this 30th day of June, 1899. top, and an opening through its bottom, combined with a @amid-holder placed in said JOHN W' WEEKS' tank, and means for operating the valve Witnesses:

when the gasorneter descends, substantially GEO. H. REMINGTON,

as shown. ORLANDO L. JACKSON. 

